“What many people don’t realize about PRP therapy is that while it’s most often used in crisis situations to treat injuries or wounds, it is also quite helpful in maintaining the health of athletes who regularly put stress on their bodies,” explains Dr. Releford. “A ‘tune-up’ like the one Mr. O’Neil mentioned helps keep him strong, fit, and a contender in the ring.”

About Platelet-Rich Plasma TherapyPRP therapy is an innovative, non-surgical approach that uses healing components derived from a small, concentrated amount of a patient’s own blood. Injected into damaged tissue, PRP therapy has the potential to “supercharge” the healing process. PRP has been successfully used in orthopedics and sports medicine to treat joint and tendon pain, ankle sprains, heel pain, non-healing wounds, plantar fasciitis, poor circulation, diabetic neuropathy, and many other conditions, as cited in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research (Jan. 2006). Recently, PRP therapy has made headlines due to its successful use by professional athletes like Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Rafael Nadal.

About Dr. Bill J. Releford, D.P.M.Dr. Bill J. Releford, D.P.M., a graduate of the Temple School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia, began his practice in 1990 and established the Diabetic Foot Institute, a facility dedicated exclusively to the reduction of diabetes-related amputations in high-risk populations. Dr. Releford is recognized both domestically and internationally as a leader in the field of diabetic limb preservation and wound care, and recently received prestigious awards from the Association of Black Cardiologists and the Regional Black Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to public health.

Dr. Releford is an assistant professor at Charles R. Drew University and lectures worldwide about the latest techniques in limb salvage and community-based outreach. He authored the book “Five Colors A Day to Better Health,” and has been featured on “NBC Nightly News” with Brian Williams, ABC’s “The View,” and in The Washington Post, Newsweek, and The Los Angeles Times.

His community outreach and health-care advocacy efforts are facilitated through the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation (DAP), a non-profit organization he founded in 2001. Its mission is to educate at-risk populations to better understand diabetes and its complications through community-based programs.

Dr. Releford and the DAP Foundation have been recognized for the success of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program. Since its inception in December 2007, the program has screened over 25,000 men for diabetes and hypertension in more than 450 black-owned barbershops in over 26 cities.